Although generally regarded as non-volatile, electrically erasable programmable read only memories (EEPROMs) need to be refreshed. The need to refresh occurs when charge stored on the floating gate of an EEPROM cell decays. This decay is a function of time, temperature, and can also be “disturbed” through normal use of the memory, including both write and read operations. Thus, there are use scenarios in which the charge within an EEPROM cell, and therefore the data the charge represents, cannot be retained indefinitely.
Furthermore, the definiteness of charge storage within an EERPROM cell is reduced at elevated temperatures. As temperature is increased, charge stored on the floating gate decays more rapidly than at lower temperatures. At 250° C., for example, industry papers have suggested that data retention in an EEPROM cell may not last any longer than 1000 to 3000 hours.
To retain charge, EEPROMs can include circuitry that allows the data state of the EEPROM to be refreshed. Current EEPROMs autonomously determine when to be refreshed. For example, an EEPROM may include a detector that determines when the average threshold voltage has shifted. When this detector finds that the threshold voltage has shifted, the EEPROM may refresh each memory cell within the memory. Unfortunately, the EEPROM either blocks external system access to the memory when the EEPROM is refreshing or must suspend the refresh until the external system is finished accessing the EEPROM.
Thus, as temperature increases, an EEPROM may need to refresh itself more frequently. However, when an EEPROM is refreshed, the refresh operation may disrupt an external system that uses the EEPROM. Consequently, at elevated temperatures refresh operations may disrupt an external system's access to the EEPROM. Therefore, there is a need for an EEPROM that does not disrupt external system access.
Also, because an EEPROM autonomously determine when it will refresh itself, EEPROMs requires control logic to coordinate blocking the external system access and refreshing themselves. This control logic necessitates the use of additional memory, taking up valuable real estate within an EEPROM. Thus, it is also desirable to design EEPROMs so that their operational components do not require excessive layout space.